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Spark-The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise And The Brain

You know that exercise makes changes in the body. But what if I say it also change your brain too? Hey guys, this week I have come with book summary of Spark-The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise And The Brain by John Ratey.

In this book, Author John Ratey explained very clearly how body and mind related with each other and how exercise improves brains functionality. So, let’s start.

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spark the revolutionary new science of brain and exercise book summary

It was found that student who had done aerobic exercise before study hour increased their mood, attention, learning, decesion making ability and comprehension skills. But why this happened? and what is the relation between the brain and body?

How Exercise Affects Learning?

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You might know that our brain consists of a hundred billion neurons or brain cells. When we do any activity or learn new thing, this brain cell fires and carries the signal. When we repeat activity brain cell fire more easily and faster will be the transmission of a signal. This neurons or brain cells govern our thoughts, actions, and emotions.

Along with these brain cells, there are neurotransmitters which play an important role in working of the brain. These neurotransmitters are serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Serotonin helps to keep brain activity under control. It affects mood, anger, aggressiveness, and impulsivity. Norepinephrine amplifies signals that influence attention, perception, and motivation.

Dopamine affects the learning ability, satisfaction and movement. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that helps brain cell growth and gives strength to signal. Exercise balances these neurotransmitters by increasing their level and makes the brain calm, attentive and ready to learn.

While exercising our heart rate increases and supply more oxygen to moving parts and immediately after exercise blood flows back to the brain and make it supercharge.

Stress The Greatest Challenge

Losing a job and simple walking both are stressful activities, how? Because mental stress and physical moment both activate neurons. But physical stress a make neurons more resilient and mental stress break them and create anxiety and depression.

There is a certain threshold or limit above which a person fill stressful. If you do aerobic exercise at 60 to 65% of maximum heart rate it dramatically increases anxiety and depression by balancing neurotransmitters and increasing Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Hope you convinced that exercise can help to any aspect of our life. The main question is that, how much exercise one should do to get the result? Exercise four days a week varying from 30 min to an hour at 60 to 65 %of your maximum heart rate.

At this level, you burning fat in the body and generating the necessary elements for all the structural changes in the brain. Mix aerobic exercise, Jumping rope, Yoga as these activities build strength, balance, and flexibility.

With this, we come to end of book summarySpark-The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise And The Brain written by John Ratey. I recommend you to go through the book. See you in the next week with another summary. Till then happy reading and happy exercising.